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14-car pileup reported as storms hit Southern California

AP

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File: Gusting winds whip up a dust storm outside the Indian Wells Tennis Garden during the final between Andy Murray of Britain and Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final at the Indian Wells ATP tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California on March 22, 2009. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

A dust storm may have caused a 14-car pileup on a desert freeway and a thunderstorm disrupted a mountain bike race as wild weather roars through Southern California.

Rain, lightning and some flooding are reported in the south and eastern inland areas, where flash flood watches and warnings are in effect through Saturday.

Authorities say blinding dust may have caused 10 big-rigs and four cars to collide around 10:30 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 40 in San Bernardino County. County fire's Otto Schramm says nine people had minor injuries in the Newberry Springs crash.

Schramm says firefighters also took about 60 people off a forest peak as a storm moved in during the Tour de Big Bear bicycle race. They were taken to shelter. It's unclear whether the race resumed.